Chester Bennington
When I'm writing, I'm constantly thinking about myself, because it's the only experience I have to draw on. And I don't see an exact reflection of myself in every face in the audience, but I know that my songs have validity to them, and that's why the fans are there.Collection: Experience
I have been able to tap into all the negative things that can happen to me throughout my life by numbing myself to the pain so to speak and kind of being able to vent it through my music.Collection: Music
It's cool to be a part of recovery. This is just who I am, this is what I write about, what I do, and most of my work has been a reflection of what I've been going through in one way or another.Collection: Cool
It's not cool to be an alcoholic.Collection: Cool
I don't like to hold back, because that's how you hurt yourself.
You're constantly trying to prove yourself, even after you've made it.
I always wanted to be a rock star. That was my childhood dream. That's what I told everybody I was going to be when I grew up.
This is a business of love and labor.
We'd like to think that our music will always be bigger than any one of our individual personalities.
The fans are the biggest reason we do what we do.
Asking someone to describe what something sounds like is like telling a blind person to guess what I look like.
We don't sit down and go, 'People are uneasy about the economy. Let's write about that.'
For me, you say the words 'concept record,' and the first thing I think of is theater or the opera or something.
If fans come up to me, I talk to them.
As an artist, I want a reaction.
I don't drink. I choose to be sober now. I have drunk over the last six years, but I just don't want to be that person anymore.
I don't go out and pick fights.
We're shooting for the title of hardest-working band in America.
My favorite jellybean is the pink one with the flavor inside.
There are always going to be encounters that you kind of wish went differently. But the average fan really isn't fanatical.
Well, we promised our fans that we'd put out records faster, and that's what we're doing. We figured out a way to condense our cycle, so to speak, by... continuing to write, trying to keep the creative ball rolling as often as possible.
All of our songs take these really big creative turns and twists throughout the process, so sometimes songs will start out as a melody or some musical chord progressions.
We're not a political band, we're a socially-minded band.
Touring for two years is excruciating.
We like playing smaller venues, but we know how many people want to come and see us so we don't ever want to stop anyone who wants to come to a show from coming.
To pigeonhole a genre as being successful or unsuccessful is weird.
Once we start hitting lyrical themes that can whack you from all these different perspectives, we know we're onto something special.
I'm strong on the outside, not all the way through. I've never been perfect, but neither have you.Collection: Strong
You can't be afraid of people willing to hurt you, cause if you fear life, then you will never liveCollection: Hurt
When life leaves us blind, love keeps us kind.Collection: Blind Love
What’s the worst thing I've stolen? Probably little pieces of other people’s lives. Where I’ve either wasted their time or hurt them in some way. That’s the worst thing you can steal, the time of other people. You just can’t get that back.Collection: Hurt
Alone in a world, With millions of souls Walking in circles Trapped in their dreams unhealthy, unclean walking in circles, now do not disturb scream in silence everyone's sleepingCollection: Dream
Some kids are so depressed at home and with how people treat them in school that they cut themselves. This happens all over the world - kids who don't want to kill themselves, but nobody understands how much they hurt, so they cut themselves with razor blades.Collection: Hurt
Success is nice, but it shouldn't be the only reason why you're a musician.Collection: Nice
You think I'm stupid. Stay out of my way. You think I'm stupid.Collection: Stupid
Tattoos exude pain and pleasure all at the same time.Collection: Tattoo
I was a geek who thought I was cool. I didn't hang out with a particular clique, but with different people from different cliques. I was a total nerd, trying to fit in. Luckily, I found music and that was my niche. That sorta took me out of my geekdom. I was never invited to parties as a teenager - I turned up with the popular people. That's where the lyrics to 'Guilty By Association' came from.Collection: Teenager
Tattoos are permanent and a lifelong commitment, the same as marriage.Collection: Tattoo
There was another time when Mike was really foul mood and we had to make a pit stop so he could use a porta potty. Mike went to use the porta potty and we were waiting inside the RV. It was joe’s idea, but we all got out and started to rock the thing back and forth. We didn’t mean to, but we ended up tipping the porta potty over while Mike was in it! Then we attacked him with air freshenerCollection: Mean
Alright...here's the deal. What's happening in this piece is very simple, over here on this side...you see that there is a very scared little kinda guy over there...wanna know why he's scared? Because this guy over here is trying to eat him.Collection: Simple
Our Fans are the best fans in the world , don't mess with themCollection: Fans
It's the band that really counts and not our egos. Egos probably destroyed more bands than anything else did, and that's something we want to avoid at all costs. We want to give the audience something real, something spectacular, and if it would be about egos, it would hardly be worth their time.Collection: Real
Atom bombs, something's wrong. D.E.A sent to Guam. Acid Trips, big fat chics. Purple Finstone Vitamins.All the needy rich are greedy. I find out you don't need me. Berlin wall starts to fall. I trip out to the wall. Hooray HorrahCollection: Wall
I really wish Mike and Joe would stop drawing on me while I'm sleeping.Collection: Sleep
The rule in music land is never doody in the bus and never doody in the RV.Collection: Rvs
I’m strong on the outside, not all the way through. I’ve never been perfect, but neither have you.Collection: Strong
For me, you say the words ‘concept record,’ and the first thing I think of is theater or the opera or something.Collection: Firsts